Purple army heads east for AFL grand final

Thousands of people who are dubbed "the purple army" are making the more than 3,000-kilometre march across the Nullarbor for Saturday's AFL grand final in Melbourne.After Fremantle booked their spot in the big dance on Friday night, airlines have increased the number of flights to Melbourne, but have also increased the cost. The price of fuel has not deterred the fans who decided not to fly but drive, with a litre of diesel at Eucla fetching $3.22 a litre on Tuesday, according to the government-run FuelWatch, which compared to Perth's cheapest diesel at $2.59 a litre.Bus driver Phil Robbins is behind the wheel of a purple bus emblazoned with "GO FREO" on the side. (ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas)Nullarbor turns purpleAbout a dozen fans travelling on a separate large purple bus calling itself "The Longmuir Coach" left Perth on Monday night.Among the group was former Fremantle livewire Hayden Ballantyne, who played in Fremantle's only previous grand final in 2013. "I've never driven the Nullarbor before, so this is a great way to do it," Ballantyne said during a stopover in Balladonia.Hayden Ballantyne is hitching a ride interstate on a purple bus. (ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas)"This grand final will definitely be a different experience as a supporter, and hopefully they can get the win," he said."It means so much to so many people ... you see a tough-as-nails guy like Shaun McManus [who will present the premiership cup if Fremantle wins] reduced to tears this week and that's what it means." Dockers diehards on the roadFor many long-suffering supporters, Saturday's grand final represents a chance to witness history with Fremantle chasing the club's first AFL premiership since joining the competition in 1995. Retired Wheatbelt farmer Noel Stone is a Fremantle diehard who is making an emotional pilgrimage to Melbourne, carrying some ashes of his late nephew with him to the game. Shauna and Noel Stone with Vincent and Christine Hadlow on the Nullarbor en route to Saturday's AFL grand final. (ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas)"My nephew Cameron passed away in a car accident in 2015. He played football for Corrigin and had a run with West Perth. "He he was a mad keen Fremantle supporter. In fact, his nickname was Docker. "I've got in my possession some of his ashes that his mother has asked me to take to the game. "At least he's with us for something he would have loved … to see the Dockers playing in a grand final on the MCG." Travelling with Mr Stone is Quairading farmer Vincent Hadlow, who is a St Kilda supporter but is adopting Fremantle as his team for the occasion. "I'm just along for the ride, and maybe I'll see Fremantle win one before my mob St Kilda," he said. St Kilda's flag drought extends to 1966, and if the Nullarbor traffic is any indication, Fremantle fans are desperate to witness theirs to end after 32 years. Balladonia Roadhouse employee Eleanor Trinh pins up signs around the Nullarbor truck stop to welcome Fremantle Dockers fans. (ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas)No tickets to the gameNatasha Cornish, her husband Troy and their 17-year-old son, Jayden, are driving from their Canning Vale home to Melbourne, despite not getting a ticket to the MCG.The Cornish family is yet to secure grand final tickets. (ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas)They plan to make a last-ditch effort to obtain tickets on Saturday."People think we're a little crazy, but even if we can't get tickets we'll be in Federation Square outside of the MCG to soak up the atmosphere," Ms Cornish said. "We're mad Fremantle supporters … we have followed them since inception … it was her idea [travelling without tickets]," Mr Cornish said.Fremantle supporters Val Downing (left) and Choco Crombie leaving Balladonia on the way across the Nullarbor. (ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas)Choco Crombie and his wife, Shelley, from Corrigin in WA's Wheatbelt are travelling with close friends. "It's expensive, but you can't take it [money] with you [when you die], and I wouldn't want to miss this," he said. "We've filled up the tank for about $3 a litre at Norseman, and hopefully that will get us across the Nullarbor."Shelley Crombie (left), Choco Crombie, Graeme Downing and Val Downing are making the long journey from Corrigin in the Wheatbelt to Melbourne. (ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas)Val Downing, also from Corrigin said her favourite Fremantle player was Patrick Voss but "I love them all". "We've been members for 20 years, and we go to all the home games," she said. "We were there in 2013, and we weren't going to miss this one."Police out in forceWith the expected increase in traffic, additional police are patrolling the 710km stretch of Eyre Highway between Norseman and Eucla near the West Australian border.Norseman Police Station's officer-in-charge, Sergeant Travis Taylor, said speed and fatigue were the two biggest factors in regional road crashes. Sergeant Tristan Taylor says officers are urging motorists to drive safely on the cross-country journey. (ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas)"WA Police literally just want you to get to where you're going, to the football, safely and return safely," he said."Take your time, take it steady, there's no rush, plan your trip."